A winning playbookHow do you lead an already winning team to victory after the previous coach, or in this case principal, retires after 22 years as school principal and 40 years of combined service to the school district? According to Dardanelle Middle School’s new principal John David Keeling, you take an already winning playbook and make it your own. Keeling graduated from Ola High School in 1992 and then attended Arkansas Tech University. He graduated from T...

‘Ready to protect, proud to serve’Arkansas Tech University’s (ATU) Office of Public Safety is gearing up for a new school year, with new programs ready to be implemented and officers more ready than ever to protect students after receiving additional training over the summer. Josh McMillian, police chief, said his department will implement several programs this year, including a new bicycle registration program and Operation ID, a theft-prevention program that allows students ...

RHS principal coaching a different kind of teamRussellville High School’s new principal transitioned from the basketball court to the principal’s office in 2006 and found his true calling. Sammy Ussery graduated from RHS in 1994 and attended Harding University, where he received his undergraduate degree in kinesiology and health in 1999. He received his master’s degree in educational leadership in 2005 and is currently enrolled in a special program to pursue his superintendent license. Whe...

Summer program 'jump starts' school yearDOVER — Summer camp or summer school? Can learning be combined with fun in such a way that students don’t even realize they are learning? According to participants in the Jump Start program at Dover Elementary, school can not only be educational, but fun, too. Dover kindergarten teacher Lisa Rentfro taught 10 first-grade students during Jump Start, a four-week program that began on July 9 designed to give kindergarten students beginning first ...

Back-to-school tips for parents, studentsA sampling of back-to-school features published in Sunday's edition of The Courier: Save on back-to-school clothes shopping. -- Bus safety tips for parents and kids. -- Tech tips for the coming school year. -- Tips to get your kids to read more. -- Planning after-school activities for your kids. -- Protect your children from cyberbullying.

Tech tips to prepare students for the school yearPreparing children for a new school year is no longer just about stocking up on pencils and notebooks. The face of education is changing, and a well-equipped student should know how to use new technology to personalize the learning experience and succeed in school. “Digital resources and applications can stimulate and engage students by providing a more interactive learning experience,” said Dan Caton, president of McGraw-Hill School Education...

Back-to-school bus safety tips for parents and kidsA new school year means new routines. And if your child is one of the millions of kids who ride the school bus, you should be encouraged by U.S. Department of Transportation statistics that cite it as the safest mode of transportation for children to get to and from school. Nevertheless, riding the school bus safely does require children to be aware and follow specific safety procedures. That’s why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administr...

Save on back-to-school clothes shoppingThe back to school season can be bittersweet. Parents may miss having their youngsters around the house when summer officially ends, but it’s also fun for parents to watch kids partake in all that school has to offer. One of the things few parents look forward come the end of summer vacation is back-to-school shopping. Such shopping can be costly, especially when it’s time to outfit kids with new wardrobes. While a complete wardrobe overhaul m...

Planning after-school activities for your kidsFun and learning can extend beyond the classroom. From music and the arts to organized sports, after-school activities can help kids stay active and make lifelong friends. Here are some great tips to keep kids active and engaged during the afternoon: • Sign up early: Many programs fill up fast. Be sure to sign your kids up for programs as soon as possible to ensure their enrollment. • Listen to your kids: As much as you would like your child t...

Back-to-school tips to get your kids to read moreThe start of a new school year is a great time to emphasize the importance of reading at home. Solid readers perform better in school and in the workplace, have a healthy self-image, and become lifelong learners. Research shows a whopping 45 percent of children ages 3 to 5 are not read to daily, and this lack of literature can take a negative toll on school performance. Luckily, there are many things parents can do to make kids passionate read...

Protect your children from cyberbullyingMost parents are familiar with traditional bullying that takes place at school and on the playground, but as life has gone digital, so has bullying. “Cyberbullying, bullying that occurs through technology like computers and mobile devices, is often harder to detect than traditional bullying. The bully isn’t immediately visible and may not even be known to the victim,” says pediatrician Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe of the American Academy of Ped...

Teachers make preparations to return to schoolAn end-to-summer vacation for students and teachers around the Arkansas River Valley is fast approaching. School begins Aug. 20 for students, but teachers go back a week, sometimes two weeks before students arrive to plan and prepare. Back to school means school supply lists, new clothing and last-minute challenges at home and at school. Dover Elementary special education teacher Diana Ramberg said she and colleagues return to school on Aug. 1...

Parents urged to get 7th-grade students vaccinatedThe Pope County Health Unit and the Russellville School District are urging parents of seventh-grade school children to schedule appointments now for their children’s Tdap (Tetanus, Diptheria and Pertussis) booster vaccination. The vaccination, in its third year of requirement, prevents against whooping cough, which has become a serious concern in children, according to Pope County Health Unit administrator Pam Sellers. “The reason for this ne...

Back to school shoppingIt is just a few weeks before school starts again and with the 2012 Arkansas sales tax holiday coming up this weekend, it is a perfect time to get the needed school supplies and clothes and save a little money. But just what is a sales tax holiday and what exactly does that mean for a parent? It means parents around the Arkansas River Valley and across the state can save on school supplies and clothing for the entire family by not having to pa...

Professor recruits residents for filmA handful of Russellville-area residents may get their break on the big screen next year after a University of Central Arkansas (UCA) professor recruited them as extras in a scene he shot Friday night for his second feature film. Associate professor of digital filmmaking Joe Dull began shooting for his second film, “Sympathy Pains,” on July 1. The scene shot Friday night — estimated to take up about a minute of the film — involves locals danci...

RSD acquires grant for ABC programThe Russellville School District will receive funds to take in up to 134 Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) students, after Colorado-based Community Development Inc. declined to retain the program beyond the last academic year. Jenny Barber, Russellville School District supervisor of federal program, said Community Development Inc. — which took over Child Development Inc.’s operations after the federally-funded institution fell to financial woes — d...

Russellville School Board election setThree Russellville School Board members will face competition when election day arrives Sept. 18. The filing period for school board candidates ended Tuesday. James D. Cole will challenge incumbent Chris Cloud for the Russellville Zone 1 seat on the board. Morgan Barrett is unopposed in Zone 2, and Allen George is unopposed in Zone 4. Margie Smith will face Gina M. Skelton for the Zone 3 seat. Breanne Davis is being challenged by Christina Rou...

Ed Board considers rules on academic distress, religion in preschoolsLITTLE ROCK — The state Board of Education on Monday approved for public comment proposed changes in the way schools are designated as academically distressed and gave final approval to a rule prohibiting the use of state early childhood education money to fund religious activities at preschools. Currently, an Arkansas school district is identified as academically distressed if 75 percent or more of its students perform below the basic level o...

Moll embraces new role at Arkansas TechWhen Ray Moll was offered an opportunity to serve as associate dean for student success at Arkansas Tech University, his only concern was that he might lose the connection with students that he enjoyed as a faculty member. That concern was quickly resolved by the steady traffic that now passes through his office in the Doc Bryan Student Services Building on a daily basis. “That’s the exciting part for me,” Moll said. “I was concerned that leav...